Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams has been diagnosed with a Grade-1 left hamstring strain and will be evaluated on a week by week basis. The injury occurred in the third quarter of Game 2 of OKC’s Western Conference Quarterfinals matchup against the Phoenix Suns. Williams drove hard to the basket on a fast break and Devin Booker’s contest caused Williams to land a bit awkwardly. He immediately grimaced and grabbed at his left hamstring. Dub stayed in the game for about two more possessions and then intentionally fouled Booker and went to the bench. After a couple of minutes on the bench, Williams headed back to the locker room for the rest of the game.
In what has been an injury-wracked season for Williams, it is the right hamstring that has bothered him season. On January 17th, Williams initially injured his right hamstring against Miami. After sitting out 10 games, he came back and played two games before reinjuring that same hamstring on February 11th, in a game against the Suns. That reinjury caused Williams to be sidelined for about 6 weeks before he came back on March 23rd. In the offseason, Williams had surgery due to a ligament tear in his wrist, that caused him to miss the first 19 games of the season. Williams had started to look like his explosive self before this current injury occurred.
It’s kind of crazy being a fan of a team who’s extremely proficient up and down the organization. From ownership to the front office to the coaching staff to the players (and this includes their G-League team), the Oklahoma City Thunder are as efficient as they effective. It’s always been one of their key tenants in building a team culture that targets purposeful action. Things that you see in other successful organizations: the San Antonio Spurs, the Miami Heat, the Pittsburgh Steelers, etc. Organizations that from the top on down have an expectation and a plan to execute those expectations.
Annnnnnd then, there’s the Sacramento Kings. A team whose two decade-long status as a middling team has given rise to a nickname that acts as the alter ego to their wishes of a well run organization: the Kangz. The Kings of the early 2000’s that featured Chris Webber, Vlade Divac, and Doug Christie were the darlings of the NBA. Unfortunately, they ran into the beginning run of the Shaq/Kobe Lakers and were never able to scale that mountain. From there, it’s been flub after flub that has kept the team at or near the middle and away from the talent of the early lottery. When they’ve had the opportunity to draft high in the lottery, they’ve completely blown it (namely, 2018 when they drafted Marvin Bagley III over Luka Doncic). When they’ve gotten good young talent (De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis), they haven’t been able to build a team around them and sustain any type of success. Now, they are just trying their best to stay above water which will net them another middle of the pack season where they will be in the high lottery. Thank the basketball gods that I reside in Oklahoma.
This is the first of three meetings this season between the Kings and Thunder. The Thunder swept the season series last year, winning by an average of 23.7 points and have won five in a row against the Kings.
Strengths vs. Weaknesses – The Sacramento Kings are defensively weak on the interior. They allow 56 points per game in the paint (24th), 22.3 points off turnovers (28th), 18.3 second chance points (24th), and are last in the league in rebounds grabbed. Conversely, the Thunder score 54.5 points in the paint (10th), 22.3 points off turnovers (5th), and are 4th in the league in rebounds, which opens up the opportunity for 2nd chance points.
Two-big Lineup – One of the biggest storylines heading into this season was whether the Thunder would continue to lean into the 2-big lineup or start to move away from it. Four games in, the Thunder have started the 2-big lineup in all the games and each of the big men is averaging a double/double. Last season, in 316 minutes played, Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein had an offensive rating of 122.9, a defensive rating of 109.4, and a net rating of 13.5. This season, the offensive rating is 123.1, the defensive rating is 104.3, and the net rating is 18.8. In 2-man lineups that have played at least 80 minutes (20 minutes/game), the 2-big line-up is second behind the SGA/Cason Wallace 2-man lineup. In short, the two-big lineup is working much better so far this season.
Russell Westbrook – There may not be too many more opportunities to see the King of the Prairie in his original field of play. Russell Westbrook was who OKC needed when they needed a hero the most. We all know what Russ means to the franchise. He’ll be the second number in the rafters and the first statue outside the arena. He’ll likely have a street in the city named after him. But we all saw how uneasy it was waiting for Westbrook to sign with the Kings a week before the season started. We don’t know when the end will come, but we all know the end is near. So appreciate any opportunity to cheer Westbrook on. On this team, he is no longer a threat like he was with the Denver Nuggets. Do what we do and give the man a raucous applause when he enters the game…because we don’t know how many more times we have to do this.
The grind. That arduous part of the season where you live life to the cadence of Kendrick Lamar’s song Swimming Pools.
Play a game (drank) Hop a plane (drank) Play a game (drank) Hop a plane (drank) One day rest (drank) Play a game (drank) Hop a plane (drank)
Over the next 20 days, the Thunder play 12 games in all four contiguous time-zones. There’s a reason why we are seeing funky line-ups and inconsistent play. Coach Mark Daigneault can’t risk completely tiring out the players that will likely be in the rotation come playoff time. That’s why you see a Lindy Waters III play a 20-minute stretch here or there. That’s why you see Vasilije Micic play a game and then not play another. While that keeps players fresh, it does tend to lend itself to inconsistent play on the floor. The hope is that all this will allow not just the team to be fresher come playoff time, but also, for more players to have seen time on the floor to get comfortable with whatever situation may be thrown their way in high-pressure games.
This is the first of two meetings between these two teams. They will face off again on March 8th in Oklahoma City.
Betting Info
Line: OKC -4.5
O/U: 233.5
Injury Report
OKC
Davis Bertans (illness) – Questionable
MIA
Jimmy Butler (toe) – OUT
Kyle Lowry (hand, illness) – Doubtful
Caleb Martin (ankle) – Doubtful
Dru Smith (knee) – OUT
Three Big Things
Pace – OKC’s pace of play is the 6th highest in the league. Miami’s is the 4th slowest. I think whoever plays their brand of basketball wins this game. If the Thunder are able to get into transition, they have the advantage. But if Miami allowed to muck things up and zone the Thunder into running a lot of half-court offense, it’ll definitely be to Miami’s advantage. Miami is that weird team that doesn’t get a lot of blocks (last in the league at just 3.3 a game), but does a good job a protecting the paint (13th best, allowing 48.6 points in the paint a game).
Josh Giddey – I actually think this could be a big game for Giddey as a connector piece. Miami will probably play a lot of zone, and having Giddey at the nail allows him to survey the floor and find the best possible option to eventually get a good shot.
A Rookie Duel – This game pits the reigning Rookies of the Month in Chet Holmgren and Jaime Jaquez Jr. For revered as Oklahoma City’s scouting department is, I think flowers should also be thrown in Miami’s direction for their scouting department also. It seems like they’ve got another good one in Jaquez Jr.
Oklahoma City General Manager Sam Presti (left) and Vice President of Basketball Operations Will Dawkins (right) meet with the media after the 2022 NBA Draft. (Credit: Alex Roig)
The Oklahoma City Thunder did something in this past draft that they haven’t done since they started this rebuild in 2019. Instead of acquiring more future first round picks, they consolidated a couple of picks from their asset chest in order to move up to take the prospect they wanted. In this case, the prospect was Ousmane Dieng. And the cost was three future first round picks. All three of the picks the Thunder gave up were heavily protected (lottery or more) for the 2023 NBA Draft, and those protections stretched out for the next 2-5 years. In essence, the Thunder traded the three worst first round assets they had for a player they really wanted.
In all, the Thunder have 13 possible first round picks over the next five drafts (2023-2027). Some of those picks will have value as draft picks and some of them will have value as trade bait. But every first round pick the Thunder have will have some sort of valuation, which is big to Thunder GM Sam Presti. When the Thunder traded the 16th pick in the 2021 NBA Draft to the Houston Rockets for two future firsts, many questioned if Presti was getting a little too asset-collection happy. After that draft, Presti was asked about trading what turned out to be Alperen Sengun for two future firsts. “It was just, it was a valuation of the asset and I think over time, we’ll be able to figure out different ways to utilize those. There’s really nothing more to it than that. It was just way above the line for the general value of that pick, and we’re going to probably make that decision most of the time.”
In this article, I wanted to look at the value of the 13 first round picks the Thunder have over the next five drafts. With that said, this is going to be perceived valuation based on the normal cycle teams go through in the NBA. I don’t have a crystal ball and can’t foresee things like injuries and future signings. These valuations are based on the current premise of the teams involved and the general evolution of what happens to teams in these positions. Without further ado, here are the values of the Thunder’s 13 future first round picks from least valuable to most valuable.
No. 13 – OKC’s 2027 first round pick
No. 12 – OKC’s 2026 first round pick
I put these two picks together because I think they hold the least amount of value to teams looking to deal with the Thunder. The Thunder will continue to add young talent to this team over the next few drafts. Also, as OKC gets better, they will likely add valuable veterans to the team via trade or (I can’t believe I’m saying this) free agency. As the collective talent on the team goes up, so will the wins. And as the wins increase, the draft position will also weaken. The Thunder will likely start to be good in 2024. But they will likely start to be great around 2026 or 2027. Hence, their draft picks will not be of much value to other teams.
No. 11 – Houston’s 2026 first round pick (Top-4 protected in ’26. Converts into a ’26 2nd rounder if it isn’t conveyed)
While Golden State, Boston, Milwaukee, and Los Angeles battle for league supremacy, OKC, Houston, Detroit, and Orlando are currently battling for draft position. Houston and OKC started their rebuilds around the same time. As Houston also continues to stack talent via the draft, their trajectory is likely to be very similar to OKC’s. For that reason, their 2026 pick is likely to be later in the first round than early in the first round.
No. 10 – Los Angeles Clippers’ 2024 first round pick (Unprotected)
If you think it’s crazy that an unprotected pick is only No. 10 on this list, I don’t blame you. Hell, I initially had this as the least valuable pick in the Thunder’s asset chest. But the pick being unprotected kind of forced me to move it down a couple spots. The reason I hesitate on giving this pick too much value is because the Clippers (sans injuries) are likely to be awesome over the next season or two. Like, “best record in the NBA” awesome. Like, “pick in the late 20’s or worse” awesome. Even with Kawhi Leonard out for the season and Paul George out for most of the season, the Clippers still found themselves in the midst of the play-in tournament. With those two back in tow and a point guard tandem of Reggie Jackson and Paul Wall, the Clippers could be real good when this pick is ready to convey.
No. 9 – Miami’s 2025 first round pick (Lottery protected for ’25. If not conveyed in ’25, it will be unprotected for ’26)
I really debated on where to put this pick due to the unprotected nature of it in it’s 2nd year. But Miami has three things going for it: two of their stars are young (Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro), they are a well run organization from top to bottom, and Miami is a prime free agent destination. Based on those three things, I don’t think the Heat will bottom out any time soon.
No. 8 – Philadelphia’s 2025 first round pick (Top-6 protected in ’25. Top-4 protected in ’26 & ’27. If not conveyed by ’27, it converts into a ’27 second rounder)
No. 7 – Utah’s 2024 first round pick (Top-10 protected in ’24 & ’25. Top-8 protected in ’26. If it doesn’t convey by ’26, OKC will receive $890K in cash)
I put these two picks together because these two teams a very close to being in turmoil over the next couple of seasons. For as great as Joel Embiid has been in his career, he’s never made it to a conference finals. Add to the mix, James Harden, who isn’t really known as a bastion of team chemistry, and the Sixers are a disappointing season or two away from being in complete flux. In addition, Embiid’s possible shelf life as a large human being who has had foot issues in the past could rear it’s ugly head in the near future.
The Utah Jazz seem to be the basketball version of the guy who peaked in high school. When the Jazz made it to the 2nd round of the playoffs in Donovan Mitchell’s rookie season, everyone thought that was just the beginning. Fast forward four seasons later and the Jazz still haven’t made it out of the 2nd round of the playoffs, their salary sheet is bloated, and their starting center shut down the world for two years (and now resides in Minnesota). Quin Snyder stepped down this offseason and Mitchell said aloud that he doesn’t know where he goes from here. The hope for Thunder fans is that the Jazz go the Portland route and try to use the picks they obtained in the Gobert deal to build around Mitchell for the next couple of seasons.
No. 6 – OKC’s 2025 first round pick
As mentioned in the explanation for OKC’s 2026 and 2027 picks, the Thunder could be well into their upward trajectory in 2025. They are likely to not be as good in 2025 as they are in ’26 and ’27, but they will likely be “playoff” good. This will be Josh Giddey and Tre Mann’s fourth season and Chet Holgrem, Jalen Williams, and Dieng’s third season. If the jump in their games were to happen, it would likely coincide with the 2024-25 season. But why would this pick be so valuable? The Thunder have the option to swap their pick with either the Clippers (unprotected) or the Rockets (Top-10 protected). If the Clippers hit an injury bug or if the Rockets aren’t progressing in their rebuild as quickly as the Thunder, the Thunder could end up with a better pick than their record suggests.
No. 5 – Denver’s 2027 first round pick (Top-5 protected for ’27 – ’29. Converts to a ’29 2nd rounder if it hasn’t conveyed by then)
Great teams usually have a shelf life of 3-5 years. Denver will be heading into Year 3 of their current situation. Injuries to Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. completely derailed last season, but Nikola Jokic still found ways to dominate on his way to his 2nd consecutive MVP award. But with their financial flexibility capped out and injury concerns for two of their three stars moving forward, this pick may be conveying around the time this team’s shelf life may be coming to end (if not already there by then).
No. 4 – OKC’s 2024 first round pick
No. 3 – Houston’s 2024 first round pick (Top-4 protected. If it isn’t conveyed, the Thunder would get Houston’s 2nd rounder in ’24 & ’25)
I lumped these two picks together because so much of their value is going to depend on what happens in the 2023 NBA Draft. If either of these teams lucks into Victor Wembanyama, their outlook changes immensely.
No. 2 – Los Angeles Clippers’ 2026 first round pick (Unprotected)
There’s a possibility the Clippers could still be good after the ’25-’26 season. But there’s also a high possibility that four more seasons of wear and tear will have had their effect on Leonard and George, along with the Clippers’ bloated cap sheet and lack of assets, to lead them into a slow decline that culminates in a great pick in this draft.
Read the latest Thunder happenings here on ClickTown.
Berry Tramel (NewsOK) talks to Billy Donovan about the earthquake that precipitated the big earthquake that shook the Thunder: “Sitting there, next thing I know, the doors start swinging open and closed,” Donovan said. “I’m like, ‘OK, now it feels like the whole building is getting ready to tip over.’ I’ve been in a few subtle earthquakes here. Not like that. So I go to the window, because I actually felt like the building was swaying. You look out the window, it’s not moving. So I kind of went downstairs.”
Dan Devine (The Ringer) on whether the Miami Heat should trade for Chris Paul: “It’s worth wondering, though, how well Paul would fit with the other famed hard-ass the Heat just imported. Jimmy Butler could have secured a full five-year bag to run it back as one of several stars on the 76ers; instead, he took a four-year, $140.8 million contract to be the unquestioned no. 1 option for a Heat franchise that hasn’t won 50 games in a season or made it out of the second round since LeBron James left town. Now, if they brought in Paul, Miami would be adding another max-salaried marquee player whose bids for glory in both Los Angeles and Houston came up short after grumblings emerged about the “mentoring” he offered to his costars. Is Butler—no stranger to, um, complicated exits himself—going to be on board with sharing the spotlight he thought he would have all to himself? (Also, for what it’s worth: As I’ve written, I’m optimistic that a healthy version of what’s already in the Heat locker room might be good enough to be the third or fourth seed in the East. Would a 34-year-old CP3 make them a legit contender on par with the Bucks and 76ers at the top of the conference? I’m skeptical.)” Continue reading →
NTTB previews the Thunder’s summer league squad: “For the Oklahoma City Thunder, the team will be looking for their youngsters to show improvement from where they were just 2 months ago. Even though the Thunder were one of the most veteran-laden teams in the league last season, they still counted on a couple rookies to provide valuable minutes throughout the season. Terrance Ferguson and Dakari Johnson showed that they belonged in the league last year. Now, the team will be looking for them to be consistent contributors on the roster.”
Erik Horne (NewsOK) on why Devon Hall has a shot at making the Thunder roster: “I know it was a big jump, but it was an uncommon work ethic,” Virginia coach Tony Bennett told The Oklahoman. “You watch him before practice, after practice, he had a routine. He was workmanlike or a pro in terms of his approach in practice, pre-practice and his shooting. He absolutely wore out his mechanics, shot and practice habits in the right way.” Continue reading →
We’re officially in the playoffs!!!! On to the second season.
Nick Gallo (OKCThunder.com) recaps the win over the Miami Heat: “First it was a 12-0 deficit. Then 16-1 and finally 23-5. It was clear from the outset, the Thunder was going to have to earn its playoff berth. Despite missing its first 10 shots with 3 turnovers in the first seven minutes on Monday against the Miami Heat, the Thunder never relented, and scratched its way back into contention in the second quarter.”
Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM, 930 AM (Spanish))
Line: OKC -3.5 | O/U – 212
There was a moment on Saturday in which it almost seemed like the future of the Oklahoma City Thunder teetered in the balance. With about 33 seconds left in the third quarter of the Thunder vs. Rockets game, Paul George turned the ball over. On the other end of the court, Chris Paul shot and made a three-pointer. At the same time, George did that thing where you try to over-correct a mistake made on one end of the floor only compound the situation. In his zealousness to make-up the mistake of the turnover, George was overly aggressive on the close out of Paul and fouled him as he made the three-pointer. Four-point play completed and the Thunder found themselves down by 6 in what had been a back and forth affair in the 3rd quarter. Continue reading →
There was a time when this match-up was THE MATCH-UP. There was a point in time where this game would’ve gotten TNT Thursday night love or first available Sunday after football on ABC billing. Such is the power of LeBron James. With James taking his talents to Northeast Ohio, this game has been mitigated to NBATV exclusivity on the same day the President will be giving his State of the Union address. In other words, don’t expect a 4.9 viewership rating for this game.
The Thunder finally have a bit of a rhythm going to their game. They’ve won 2 of 3 since their five day break and have scored 127 points (non-overtime) in consecutive games. They beat the best team in the league and then molly-whooped a lottery team on their own floor. Though the sample size is small, the team seems to found a comfort zone with Dion Waiters that is paying instant dividends. The Waiters-Reggie Jackson combo is keeping the pressure on teams, even when Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are off the floor. Another plus during the Thunder’s recent play has been Serge Ibaka’s play. He’s doing a much better job of mixing his inside and outside presence whenever the team needs it. In the Warriors game, Ibaka shredded Golden State in the 4th quarter, scoring 10 consecutive points on 4 shots (2 lay-ups, 1 dunk, and a 3-pointer), which were all assisted by Westbrook. Then, against Orlando, with the lane opening up like the Red Sea for the Thunder’s playmakers, Ibaka stepped to the outside and thrashed the Magic with four 3-pointers.
This is the first of 2 meetings this season between these two teams. These teams split their meetings last season, with each team winning on the other’s home floor.
The Opponent
The Miami Heat currently stand at 18-22, good for 7th in the Eastern Conference. They are bottom third in most statistical categories. They are the slowest team in the league (30th in pace), which helps their scoring defense out, allowing only 97.2 points per game. Unfortunately, they only score about 93.5 points per game. The departure of LeBron James has changed the way Miami plays, and they are still adjusting to life without him. Mario Chalmers still leads the current Miami attack, but is likely not getting yelled at as much. Dwayne Wade is leading the team in scoring, at 22.1 points per game, and in assists, at 5.6 per game. When Wade has been out, rookie Shabazz Napier has stepped in. Luol Deng is still one of the premier 3 and D guys in the NBA and has been a good fit for the Heat. Up front, Chris Bosh is still one of the better inside/outside big men in the league, averaging 21.6 points on 40.5% shooting from 3-point territory. Up front, Most Improved Player candidate Hassan Whiteside has been one of the more pleasant surprises in the NBA. Whiteside’s journey has seen him go from Sacramento to Lebanon to China to the D-League, and then to Miami where he seems to have finally gotten his professional footing. Off the bench, Miami has a couple veteran players (Udonis Haslem, Danny Granger, Chris Andersen, Norris Cole), but lacks a consistent scorer.
Probable Starting Line-ups
Miami Heat
PG – Mario Chalmers
SG – Dwayne Wade*
SF – Luol Deng*
PF – Chris Bosh
C – Hassan Whiteside
* – Dwayne Wade is questionable due to a hamstring issue and Luol Deng is questionable due to illness.
Oklahoma City Thunder
PG – Russell Westbrook
SG – Andre Roberson
SF – Kevin Durant
PF – Serge Ibaka
C – Steven Adams
3 Keys to the Game
1. Pace – The Heat play at the slowest pace in the league. The Thunder, when healthy, like to move the ball up the court as quickly as possible. It would behoove the Thunder to play their brand of basketball.
2. Bench – The Heat have one of the weaker benches in the league. With Wade and Deng a possibility to miss the game due to various ailments, the Thunder reserves can be the key to an easy Thunder victory.
3. Half-way Point – This is the 41st game of the season a.k.a the half-way point. It will be up to the Thunder to see if they finally end up above .500 for the first time this season, or if they, once again, dip a game under .500.
Last season: 44-38 (2nd in the Southeast Division, 5th in the Eastern Conference)
Season ended: Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals against the Indiana Pacers
Key Additions:
DeJuan Blair – Sign and trade from the Dallas Mavericks
Kris Humphries – Sign and trade from the Boston Celtics
Paul Pierce – Free agent signing
Key Departures:
Trevor Ariza – Signed with the Houston Rockets
Trevor Booker – Signed with the Utah Jazz
Season Preview – The young players for the Wizards finally started coming into their own last season. John Wall became an All-Star for the first time, and Bradley Beal showed signs of being one of the best 2-guards in the league. In addition, the acquisitions of Nene and Marcin Gortat have given this team an inside/outside balance that is one of the better ones in the league. The loss of Trevor Ariza may show itself more on the defensive end, but Pierce should be an adequate stop-gap as the Wizards wait on the development of Otto Porter. The only trip up I see with this team is perimeter depth. If Wall or Beal go down for any extended amount of time, this team could be in trouble.
2014-15 will be successful if: The Wizards make it to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Projected 2014-15 Record: 49-33
2. Charlotte Hornets
Last season: 43-39 (3rd in the Southeast Division, 7th in the Eastern Conference)
Season ended: Game 4 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs against the Miami Heat.
Key Additions:
P.J. Hairston – Draft (No. 26 in the 2014 NBA Draft)
Brian Roberts – Free agent signing
Lance Stephenson – Free agent signing
Noah Vonleh – Draft (No. 9 in the 2014 NBA Draft)
Marvin Williams – Free agent signing
Key Departures:
Luke Ridnour – Signed with the Orlando Magic
Josh McRoberts – Signed with the Miami Heat
Anthony Tolliver – Signed with the Phoenix Suns
Brendan Haywood – Traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers
Chris Douglas-Roberts – Signed with the Los Angeles Clippers
Season Preview – The Hornets (formerly the Bobcats) come into this season with as high of expectations as they’ve ever had in their 10 year reincarnation. Michael Jordan and GM Rich Cho have slowly put together a balanced team that is built on defense. The key now will be developing the young talent they’ve obtained over the past 2 seasons, while also learning how to consistently win. Al Jefferson provides the Hornets with a go-to scorer, while Stephenson and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist will be nightmares on the defensive end for opposing wings. If the Hornets can find consistent scoring from the perimeter, they may be a surprise team in the East.
2014-15 will be successful if: The Hornets make it to the 2nd round of the playoffs.
Projected 2014-15 Record: 47-35
3. Miami Heat
Last season: 54-28 (1st in the Southeast Division, 2nd in the Eastern Conference)
Season ended: Game 5 loss in the 2014 NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs
Key Additions:
Luol Deng – Free agent signing
Danny Granger – Free agent signing
Josh McRoberts – Free agent signing
Shabazz Napier – Draft (No. 24 in the 2014 NBA Draft)
Key Departures:
LeBron James – Signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers
James Jones – Signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers
Ray Allen – Unsigned
Shane Battier – Retired
Rashard Lewis – Signed with the Dallas Mavericks
Toney Douglas – Signed overseas
Michael Beasley – unsigned
Season preview – It was a good run, boys. The four year “Big 3” experiment yielded four consecutive trips to the Finals and two championships. “Not 1, not 2…” wait, yeah, only 2. LeBron James returning back to Cleveland has brought the Heat back down a notch or two on the NBA spectrum. While Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh are still in tow, the engine that made the team run is no longer there. The team that we’ve seen for the past four years will be completely different. No longer will the threat of a driving James cause defenses to collapse into the paint, leaving a plethora of wide open shooters. Instead, Miami will likely run its offense inside/out through Bosh. Gone are the shooters that provided that floor spacing for James and Wade to operate. And the lingering concern over Wade’s health still remains. The Heat will still win games, but there will be a significant drop-off from the previous four seasons.
2014-15 will successful if: The Heat make it to the Eastern Conference Finals
Projected 2014-15 Record: 44-38
4. Atlanta Hawks
Last season: 38-44 (4th in the Southeast Division, 8th in the Eastern Conference)
Season ended: Game 7 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs against the Indiana Pacers
Key Additions:
Kent Bazemore – Free agent signing
Adreian Payne – Draft (No. 15 in the 2014 NBA Draft)
Thabo Sefolosha – Free agent signing
Key Departures:
Lou Williams – Traded to the Toronto Raptors
Elton Brand – Unsigned
Gustavo Ayon – Signed overseas
Lucas Nogueira – Traded to the Toronto Raptors
Season preview – If there is a team in the league that wants the season to start already, it is the Atlanta Hawks. The offseason can be a cruel time for a team that is embroiled in controversy. The Bruce Levenson/Danny Ferry race fiasco is a situation that probably won’t be completely resolved until next season. On the court, Atlanta is one of those teams that’s always good enough to win more games than it should, but loses out on getting a good draft pick because of that. Al Horford returns after missing most of last season with a torn right pectoral muscle. Their front line of Horford, Pero Antic, and Paul Millsap will be one of the more dynamic front courts in the league. The addition of Sefolosha will help shore up the perimeter defensively, but will provide little from an offensive standpoint.
2014-15 will be successful if: The Hawks make it to the 2nd round of the playoffs.
Projected 2014-15 Record: 40-42
5. Orlando Magic
Last season: 23-59 (5th in the Southeast Division, 13th in the Eastern Conference)
Season ended: Last day of the regular season
Key Additions:
Evan Fournier – Obtained in a trade with the Denver Nuggets
Channing Frye – Free agent signing
Aaron Gordon – Draft (No. 4 in the 2014 NBA Draft)
Ben Gordon – Free agent signing
Willie Green – Claimed off waivers from the Los Angeles Clippers
Elfrid Payton – Draft (No. 10 in the 2014 NBA Draft)
Luke Ridnour – Free agent signing
Key Departures:
Jameer Nelson – Signed with the Dallas Mavericks
Arron Afflalo – Traded to the Denver Nuggets
Season preview – The Magic are at the point in their rebuild where they need to decide on what to do with some of their young guys. Nikola Vucevic and Tobias Harris will be coming up on restricted free agency next offseason, with Andrew Nicholson, Maurice Harkless, and Fournier coming up with offseason after that. The Magic will probably be a big player at the trade deadline as they need to start moving some of their young pieces for either a big name player or assets. On the court, the Magic will continue to be an uptempo transition team, especially with Payton manning the point. Victor Oladipo will need to show improvement on his jump-shot, but Ben Gordon and Frye will provide some of the spacing Oladipo needs to operate. I see the Magic slightly improving, but still struggling to consistently win.
2014-15 will be successful if: The young guys continue to develop and the Magic end up with a Top 7 pick.
Read the latest Thunder happenings here on ClickTown.
We’re officially in the playoffs!!!! On to the second season.
